Stokesdale, North Carolina, located in the
northwest corner of Guilford County, is a rural community with a mixture of
agricultural and farming areas, businesses, industries, and residential areas.
A small business district provides services for the citizens of the area.
Several industries are also located within the Town. The 21.4 square miles
included in the incorporated area of the Town is intersected by three major
highways (US Highway 158, NC Highway 68 and NC Highway 65). Part of the Town
borders a fourth major highway, US Highway 220. With this network of roads,
Stokesdale citizens are within a short drive of the larger cities of Greensboro,
High Point, Winston Salem, or Reidsville.

Back in the 1860’s, before the era of
automobiles and railroads, Stokesdale was called Green Pond. The name of Green
Pond came into being because of a swampy pond located in the general area of
what is now Ellisboro Road and Highway 65. The “Town” consisted of a General
Store built by Mr. John King in 1860. The store was located across from the
intersection of Ellisboro Road and Gideon Grove Church Road in Stokesdale.

Green Pond General Store/Post Office

Shortly after the War Between the States, a Post
Office was authorized at Green Pond. As was the custom in those days, the post
office was located in a general store since it was most often the meeting place
of the community. The postmaster then could tend to both of his duties as
needed during the day. John King’s nephew, William Linville, was the postmaster
at Green Pond. Green Pond eventually became known as “Pond.” The mail was
delivered to the Pond Post Office twice a week by Star route from Kernersville.
The carrier brought the mail riding mule back. The Greensboro Patriot was the
only newspaper delivered through the post office at that time.

In 1886 the Cape Fear and Yadkin Valley Railroad
was built from

Greensboro to Mount Airy. The railroad passed through Pond
and a railroad station was built to service the area. The post office was
moved at this time and the name was changed to
Stokesdale. The name Stokesdale was selected in honor of a Mr. Stokes who
was either an executive of the railroad, a conductor on the train, or the
surveyor who surveyed the area.

The first train depot, shown here, burned in 1908 and was
replaced by another the one shown below.

This Depot was sold to Mr. Sam Heffinger who had it moved to Madison in 1977.
It became his home after he remodeled it. Trains continued to come through
Stokesdale until 1980. The railroad removed the train tracks in 1981.

Records indicate that the town name was changed
on January 8, 1887 from Pond to Stokesdale. William L.
Linville was postmaster from December 8, 1879 until January 8, 1887 when Mr.
Leonard A. Southern became postmaster.

Stokesdale was first incorporated in 1907. The
Town went bankrupt during the Depression and became inactive in the 1930’s. The
State revoked the charter in 1971. The Town was incorporated for a second time
on November 9, 1989.

Several one-room schools that were scattered
around the countryside served the Stokesdale area. Elm Grove School served the
Flat Rock Road area. Winding Hills School was located at the corner of Fulp
Road and Highway 65. Another school was located on the Ellisboro Road and was
called Rocky Springs. One school, built in 1890, was located in the area near
the fire station. A new school was built in 1905 near the site of the present
elementary school. The Stokesdale Public School was built in 1923 and used until
it was replaced in 1982.

The Stokesdale Fire Department was established
in 1954. Leonard Pegram was the first Fire Chief of the Department.